u00a0House of Cards

n

We send holiday cards. My list includes people Iu2019m only in contact with once a year so I usually include a little handwritten note with some news. Not always; I sometimes run out of steam. So Iu2019ve learned to start at the u201cAu2019s one year and the u2018Zu2019s the next so people at least get a note every other year. I never written the typed holiday epistle with all the events for the entire family for the year like my late sister used to do. I used to read her holiday letter between Christmas and New Year (or some years mid-January) out of guilt. I just donu2019t believe that my life is that interesting.

n

Our cards often wish joy and peace to the recipient. Some cards mention Christmas for those I know celebrate the Christian holiday. I donu2019t believe there is a u201cwar on Christmasu201d or anything so silly, but if I know you have a decorated fir tree in your living room, you might get a picture of one on your card. u00a0The others say u201cholidayu201d or u201cthe seasonu201d for those I know celebrate Hanukkah, or the Solstice, or those who I just donu2019t know what or even if they celebrate.

n

We also like getting cards. The card pictured above, sent to me by the mother of my children and her husband, is the hands-down winner in the holiday card derby this year. OK, there isnu2019t really a derby, but my wife and I often look at the cards and comment when they come in. u201cThatu2019s pretty.u201d u201cNice to hear from them.u201d Some cards actually move us and this card from Kirsten and Ken was one of those.

n

A Needed Message

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u201cHelp.u201d u201cPeaceu201d u201cForget our differencesu201d It doesnu2019t matter what you celebrate at this time of year, or if you donu2019t really celebrate anything, but do reflect on the year past and envision the coming year. That we might be a little kinder, help our fellow humans a little more, and, at a minimum, stop maiming and killing quite so many of us, over lines on a map, or ancient hurt-memories or unshared ideology, well, those hopes resonate.

n

This time of the year, December,u00a0 the Winter Solstice, is the time in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun is furthest from us, so we have many of the worldu2019s religions u201cbringing in the Light.u201d In the Southern Hemisphere this is the Summer Solstice, the longest day, but many displaced Northerners still celebrate the Light.

n

I guess Light ainu2019t a bad thing at any time of solar rotation. Light, is belief in something larger than ourselves, sun, other stars, the blessed diverse ecosystem weu2019re a part of when we tread upon the Earth, or Divine Spirit encouraging us to see the Light and do what is Right..

n

Light is the Golden Rule. No, I donu2019t mean u201cwhoever has the gold, rules;u201d I mean the u201cdo unto others as youu2019d have others do unto you,u201d or as my friend, Rob, somewhat cynically called it, the u201cbe nice to each other concept.u201d

n

The u201cbe nice to each other conceptu201d is found in many religions:

n

n
• u201c You shall love your neighbor as yourselfu201d u2013 Christian, Gospel of Matthew

n

• u201cWhat is hateful to you, do not to your fellow manu201d Judaism, Talmud Shabbat

n

• u201cNot one of you truly believes until you wish for others that which you wish for yourself.u201d Islam, The Prophet Mohammed Hadith

n

• u201cThis is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.u201d Hinduism, Mahabharata

n

• u201cu2026a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?u201d Buddhism, Samyutta Nikaya

n

• u201cOne should treat all beings as he himself would be treated.u201d Jainism, Agamas Sutrakritanga

n

• u201cNo one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend.u201d Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev

n

• u201cDo not do to others what you would not like yourself.u201d Confucianism, Analects

n

• u201cThe sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful.u201d Taoism, Tao Teh Ching

n

• u201cThe heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own formu201d Shintoism, Shinto

n

• u201cHurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.u201d Bahau2019i, Udana-Varga

n

• u201cDo not do to others what is harmful for yourselfu201d Zoroastrianism, Shayast-na-Shayastu00a0

n

• u201cApe shall not kill apeu201d Caesar, Planet of the Apes

n

n

The script of the movie u201cPlanet of the Apesu201d mocks us. The u201cBe Nice to Each Otheru201d concept is human-centric in many of the worldu2019s religions.u00a0 As might be expected, Native American versions are more inclusive:

n

u201cAll things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.u201d Black Elk

n

Even if youu2019re not prepared to go that far, u201cBe Nice to Peopleu201d is a good start. As Kirsten and Kenu2019s card says:

n

n

u201cRemember the love that connects us.u201d

n

Peace and Joy to all this holiday season and for many years to come.

“,”tablet”:”

House of Cards

n

We send holiday cards. My list includes people Iu2019m only in contact with once a year so I usually include a little handwritten note with some news. Not always; I sometimes run out of steam. So Iu2019ve learned to start at the u201cAu2019s one year and the u2018Zu2019s the next so people at least get a note every other year. I never written the typed holiday epistle with all the events for the entire family for the year like my late sister used to do. I used to read her holiday letter between Christmas and New Year (or some years mid-January) out of guilt. I just donu2019t believe that my life is that interesting.

n

Our cards often wish joy and peace to the recipient. Some cards mention Christmas for those I know celebrate the Christian holiday. I donu2019t believe there is a u201cwar on Christmasu201d or anything so silly, but if I know you have a decorated fir tree in your living room, you might get a picture of one on your card. The others say u201cholidayu201d or u201cthe seasonu201d for those I know celebrate Hanukkah, or the Solstice, or those who I just donu2019t know what or even if they celebrate.

n

We also like getting cards. The card pictured above, sent to me by the mother of my children and her husband, is the hands-down winner in the holiday card derby this year. OK, there isnu2019t really a derby, but my wife and I often look at the cards and comment when they come in. u201cThatu2019s pretty.u201d u201cNice to hear from them.u201d Some cards actually move us and this card from Kirsten and Ken was one of those.

n

A Needed Message

n

u201cHelp.u201d u201cPeaceu201d u201cForget our differencesu201d It doesnu2019t matter what you celebrate at this time of year, or if you donu2019t really celebrate anything, but do reflect on the year past and envision the coming year. That we might be a little kinder, help our fellow humans a little more, and, at a minimum, stop maiming and killing quite so many of us, over lines on a map, or ancient hurt-memories or unshared ideology, well, those hopes resonate.

n

This time of the year, December, the Winter Solstice, is the time in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun is furthest from us, so we have many of the worldu2019s religions u201cbringing in the Light.u201d In the Southern Hemisphere this is the Summer Solstice, the longest day, but many displaced Northerners still celebrate the Light.

n

I guess Light ainu2019t a bad thing at any time of solar rotation. Light, is belief in something larger than ourselves, sun, other stars, the blessed diverse ecosystem weu2019re a part of when we tread upon the Earth, or Divine Spirit encouraging us to see the Light and do what is Right..

n

Light is the Golden Rule. No, I donu2019t mean u201cwhoever has the gold, rules;u201d I mean the u201cdo unto others as youu2019d have others do unto you,u201d or as my friend, Rob, somewhat cynically called it, the u201cbe nice to each other concept.u201d

n

The u201cbe nice to each other conceptu201d is found in many religions:

n

n
• u201c You shall love your neighbor as yourselfu201d u2013 Christian, Gospel of Matthew

n

• u201cWhat is hateful to you, do not to your fellow manu201d Judaism, Talmud Shabbat

n

• u201cNot one of you truly believes until you wish for others that which you wish for yourself.u201d Islam, The Prophet Mohammed Hadith

n

• u201cThis is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.u201d Hinduism, Mahabharata

n

• u201cu2026a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?u201d Buddhism, Samyutta Nikaya

n

• u201cOne should treat all beings as he himself would be treated.u201d Jainism, Agamas Sutrakritanga

n

• u201cNo one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend.u201d Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev

n

• u201cDo not do to others what you would not like yourself.u201d Confucianism, Analects

n

• u201cThe sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful.u201d Taoism, Tao Teh Ching

n

• u201cThe heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own formu201d Shintoism, Shinto

n

• u201cHurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.u201d Bahau2019i, Udana-Varga

n

• u201cDo not do to others what is harmful for yourselfu201d Zoroastrianism, Shayast-na-Shayast

n

• u201cApe shall not kill apeu201d Caesar, Planet of the Apes

n

n

The script of the movie u201cPlanet of the Apesu201d mocks us. The u201cBe Nice to Each Otheru201d concept is human-centric in many of the worldu2019s religions. As might be expected, Native American versions are more inclusive:

n

u201cAll things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.u201d Black Elk

n

Even if youu2019re not prepared to go that far, u201cBe Nice to Peopleu201d is a good start. As Kirsten and Kenu2019s card says:

n

u201cRemember the love that connects us.u201d

n

Peace and Joy to all this holiday season and for many years to co

“,”phone”:”

House of Cards

n

We send holiday cards. My list includes people Iu2019m only in contact with once a year so I usually include a little handwritten note with some news. Not always; I sometimes run out of steam. So Iu2019ve learned to start at the u201cAu2019s one year and the u2018Zu2019s the next so people at least get a note every other year. I never written the typed holiday epistle with all the events for the entire family for the year like my late sister used to do. I used to read her holiday letter between Christmas and New Year (or some years mid-January) out of guilt. I just donu2019t believe that my life is that interesting.

n

Our cards often wish joy and peace to the recipient. Some cards mention Christmas for those I know celebrate the Christian holiday. I donu2019t believe there is a u201cwar on Christmasu201d or anything so silly, but if I know you have a decorated fir tree in your living room, you might get a picture of one on your card. The others say u201cholidayu201d or u201cthe seasonu201d for those I know celebrate Hanukkah, or the Solstice, or those who I just donu2019t know what or even if they celebrate.

n

We also like getting cards. The card pictured above, sent to me by the mother of my children and her husband, is the hands-down winner in the holiday card derby this year. OK, there isnu2019t really a derby, but my wife and I often look at the cards and comment when they come in. u201cThatu2019s pretty.u201d u201cNice to hear from them.u201d Some cards actually move us and this card from Kirsten and Ken was one of those.

n

A Needed Message

n

u201cHelp.u201d u201cPeaceu201d u201cForget our differencesu201d It doesnu2019t matter what you celebrate at this time of year, or if you donu2019t really celebrate anything, but do reflect on the year past and envision the coming year. That we might be a little kinder, help our fellow humans a little more, and, at a minimum, stop maiming and killing quite so many of us, over lines on a map, or ancient hurt-memories or unshared ideology, well, those hopes resonate.

n

This time of the year, December, the Winter Solstice, is the time in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun is furthest from us, so we have many of the worldu2019s religions u201cbringing in the Light.u201d In the Southern Hemisphere this is the Summer Solstice, the longest day, but many displaced Northerners still celebrate the Light.

n

I guess Light ainu2019t a bad thing at any time of solar rotation. Light, is belief in something larger than ourselves, sun, other stars, the blessed diverse ecosystem weu2019re a part of when we tread upon the Earth, or Divine Spirit encouraging us to see the Light and do what is Right..

n

Light is the Golden Rule. No, I donu2019t mean u201cwhoever has the gold, rules;u201d I mean the u201cdo unto others as youu2019d have others do unto you,u201d or as my friend, Rob, somewhat cynically called it, the u201cbe nice to each other concept.u201d

n

The u201cbe nice to each other conceptu201d is found in many religions:

n

n
• u201c You shall love your neighbor as yourselfu201d u2013 Christian, Gospel of Matthew

n

• u201cWhat is hateful to you, do not to your fellow manu201d Judaism, Talmud Shabbat

n

• u201cNot one of you truly believes until you wish for others that which you wish for yourself.u201d Islam, The Prophet Mohammed Hadith

n

• u201cThis is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.u201d Hinduism, Mahabharata

n

• u201cu2026a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?u201d Buddhism, Samyutta Nikaya

n

• u201cOne should treat all beings as he himself would be treated.u201d Jainism, Agamas Sutrakritanga

n

• u201cNo one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend.u201d Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev

n

• u201cDo not do to others what you would not like yourself.u201d Confucianism, Analects

n

• u201cThe sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful.u201d Taoism, Tao Teh Ching

n

• u201cThe heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own formu201d Shintoism, Shinto

n

• u201cHurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.u201d Bahau2019i, Udana-Varga

n

• u201cDo not do to others what is harmful for yourselfu201d Zoroastrianism, Shayast-na-Shayast

n

• u201cApe shall not kill apeu201d Caesar, Planet of the Apes

n

n

The script of the movie u201cPlanet of the Apesu201d mocks us. The u201cBe Nice to Each Otheru201d concept is human-centric in many of the worldu2019s religions. As might be expected, Native American versions are more inclusive:

n

u201cAll things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.u201d Black Elk

n

Even if youu2019re not prepared to go that far, u201cBe Nice to Peopleu201d is a good start. As Kirsten and Kenu2019s card says:

n

u201cRemember the love that connects us.u201d

n

Peace and Joy to all this holiday season and for many years to co

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 House of Cards

We send holiday cards. My list includes people I’m only in contact with once a year so I usually include a little handwritten note with some news. Not always; I sometimes run out of steam. So I’ve learned to start at the “A’s one year and the ‘Z’s the next so people at least get a note every other year. I never written the typed holiday epistle with all the events for the entire family for the year like my late sister used to do. I used to read her holiday letter between Christmas and New Year (or some years mid-January) out of guilt. I just don’t believe that my life is that interesting.

Our cards often wish joy and peace to the recipient. Some cards mention Christmas for those I know celebrate the Christian holiday. I don’t believe there is a “war on Christmas” or anything so silly, but if I know you have a decorated fir tree in your living room, you might get a picture of one on your card.  The others say “holiday” or “the season” for those I know celebrate Hanukkah, or the Solstice, or those who I just don’t know what or even if they celebrate.

We also like getting cards. The card pictured above, sent to me by the mother of my children and her husband, is the hands-down winner in the holiday card derby this year. OK, there isn’t really a derby, but my wife and I often look at the cards and comment when they come in. “That’s pretty.” “Nice to hear from them.” Some cards actually move us and this card from Kirsten and Ken was one of those.

A Needed Message

“Help.” “Peace” “Forget our differences” It doesn’t matter what you celebrate at this time of year, or if you don’t really celebrate anything, but do reflect on the year past and envision the coming year. That we might be a little kinder, help our fellow humans a little more, and, at a minimum, stop maiming and killing quite so many of us, over lines on a map, or ancient hurt-memories or unshared ideology, well, those hopes resonate.

This time of the year, December,  the Winter Solstice, is the time in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun is furthest from us, so we have many of the world’s religions “bringing in the Light.” In the Southern Hemisphere this is the Summer Solstice, the longest day, but many displaced Northerners still celebrate the Light.

I guess Light ain’t a bad thing at any time of solar rotation. Light, is belief in something larger than ourselves, sun, other stars, the blessed diverse ecosystem we’re a part of when we tread upon the Earth, or Divine Spirit encouraging us to see the Light and do what is Right..

Light is the Golden Rule. No, I don’t mean “whoever has the gold, rules;” I mean the “do unto others as you’d have others do unto you,” or as my friend, Rob, somewhat cynically called it, the “be nice to each other concept.”

The “be nice to each other concept” is found in many religions:

• “ You shall love your neighbor as yourself” – Christian, Gospel of Matthew
• “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man” Judaism, Talmud Shabbat
• “Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others that which you wish for yourself.” Islam, The Prophet Mohammed Hadith
• “This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.” Hinduism, Mahabharata
• “…a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?” Buddhism, Samyutta Nikaya
• “One should treat all beings as he himself would be treated.” Jainism, Agamas Sutrakritanga
• “No one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend.” Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev
• “Do not do to others what you would not like yourself.” Confucianism, Analects
• “The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful.” Taoism, Tao Teh Ching
• “The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form” Shintoism, Shinto
• “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Baha’i, Udana-Varga
• “Do not do to others what is harmful for yourself” Zoroastrianism, Shayast-na-Shayast 
• “Ape shall not kill ape” Caesar, Planet of the Apes

The script of the movie “Planet of the Apes” mocks us. The “Be Nice to Each Other” concept is human-centric in many of the world’s religions.  As might be expected, Native American versions are more inclusive:

“All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.” Black Elk

Even if you’re not prepared to go that far, “Be Nice to People” is a good start. As Kirsten and Ken’s card says:

“Remember the love that connects us.”

Peace and Joy to all this holiday season and for many years to come.